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How to look after eyelash extensions.

On a daily basis at Essential Beauty, Washington I have clients ask me how to look after their eyelash extensions. They tell me they have been so good with their lashes and havent even touched them, when in truth this is one of the worse things that you can do, eyelash extensions are easy to look after but to get the best out of them they do need a little looking after.

Heres my routine on how I care for mine.

For the first 24 hours I don't get my lashes wet at all, I make sure my hair is washed and I wear no make up the day of my infill so I don't have to remove it or wash my face.

For 24 hours after that, I don't subject my freshly applied lashes to any steam or humidity. I keep the temperature on my shower down and I don't use the bath that day. I don't swim or use saunas/steam rooms/hot tubs. A simple rule of thumb is if you're unsure avoid it for this short period of time.

Following those first 2 days I brush my lashes on a morning, and on a night when I wash my face I avoid my lashes with my cleanser and use a muslin cloth to make sure I'm not getting anything on my lashes. I then wash my lashes with a lash shampoo formula made with baby shampoo and water, this ensures any make up residue and natural skin oils are washed off my lashes. I then brush the lash extensions through and go to sleep.

This is basically how I look after my lashes I do make sure that I don't use oily products around my eyes and I don't wear mascara or eyeliner.

Anything with oil (including natural skin oils) will affect the bond of the lash extension to the natural lash and cause premature shedding. The product we use to remove eyelash extensions is oil based, so effectively anything applied to the lash extensions that contains oils will act as a remover.

How often should I get my eyelash extensions infilled.

To keep up the look of your lash extensions we recommend infills every 2 to 3 weeks.

You naturally lose between 3 to 5 natural lashes per day so as the lashes naturally shed the eyelash extension will go with it. You will then have new natural lashes growing through in their place, which is what we apply new lash extensions to at your infill.

Natural Lash Shed

3 lashes per day (average)

1 week 21 lashes lost

2 weeks 42 lashes lost

3 weeks 63 lashes lost

On average a full set applied by one of our experienced technicians will have between 120 - 150 lash extensions applied per eye.

So at a 3 week infill with the correct aftercare most clients will return with around 50-60% of the original lash extensions intact. This will mean that at your infill appointment your lash technician can then apply enough lash extensions to create a full look again and remove an original lash extensions that have grown out and need removing.

Factors that may affect how quickly you need an eyelash extension infill.

Incorrect aftercare can have a major effect on how long your lash extensions last. Getting your lash extensions wet or subjecting them to steam in the periods its advised not too, will mean the adhesive doesnt cure properly and will be less effective. The use of oil around your lash extensions will break down the bond of the adhesive and mean that your eyelash extensions will shed early.

Please be aware if your appointments are with a lash technician trainee, that they are still in training and don't apply as many lashes as more experienced technicians, and you may requireinfills sooner to keep them looking full. This is why here at Essential beauty, Washignton we have a price structure and charge less with the more recently qualified technicians.

We are also here to answer any questions you may have, simply drop us a message or give us a call and we will be happy to help.

I've included a link to a video another technician posted on you tube about how to clean lashes it's really informative and definitely worth a watch.

Correct aftercare and cleaning of your lashes isn't only necessary to keep your lash extensions looking good and prolonging their lifespan. It's also critical in the health of your lash line, dead skin, bacteria and make up residue can build up along your lash line and in amongst your lash extensions if this isn't cleaned it can lead to a build up which is not only unsightly but can cause eye infections and irritation include betharitis. I will do another blog post on this in the future so please check or blog again soon.